At first glance, it looked like an ordinary dumpster behind a New Hampshire building — nothing out of the ordinary.
But when a passerby noticed a tiny furry face peeking through a hole near the bottom, it was clear someone inside needed help.
Peterborough Fire and Rescue paramedics arrived to investigate, unsure of what they might find.
“When we got the call, I was a little curious what we were actually going to find,” paramedic Tim Quinn told The Dodo. “When we got there, I was pretty shocked.”
The mystery guest turned out to be a squirrel who had managed to wedge his head, cheeks, and ears through the small opening — only to discover he couldn’t get the rest of his body out. Stuck fast, the dumpster-diving critter was trapped.
“He definitely couldn’t back out,” Quinn said. “He was really stuck in there.”
Rather than give up, the crew got creative. Using sterile medical lubricant from their ambulance kit, they carefully worked the squirrel’s head back through the hole.
“Getting the squirrel out was actually pretty difficult,” Quinn said. “But after some effort, we were able to slide him free.”
The squirrel, understandably flustered, was otherwise unhurt. Rescuers carried him to the woods nearby and watched as he scurried off — no doubt a little wiser about his dumpster adventures.
For Quinn and his team, it was far from the typical emergency call, but still a rewarding one.
“People often call fire departments with an array of problems that aren’t your standard fire or medical emergencies,” Quinn said. “This was just one example — and we were happy to help the little guy.”
